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Letter: Elect lawmakers who value education

Alan A. Seabrooke

When I was a student in the public schools of Cedar Rapids I was aware of the importance placed on education. My parents made a number of sacrifices to encourage me to be the first in our family to attend and graduate from college. They stressed that I should receive a better and more complete education. I became a teacher and retired from that profession after 35 years in the classrooms of a public high school in Iowa. During my lifetime, both as a student and educator, I was aware of, and proud of, the people of Iowa and their commitment to education. My, how things have changed.

The people of Iowa have chosen to elect people who prefer to give away Iowa’s resources in the form of tax relief and tax exemptions rather than fund education for Iowans. Public school financial aid been less than adequate in recent years. Facing the prospects of higher costs, students will forego post high school education at Iowa’s public universities because of the 5-year plans to raise tuition — 7 percent annually at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, 5 percent annually at the University of Northern Iowa.

My hope is that the good people of Iowa will elect people who understand the value of education. I hope those who are elected will reflect their values and fund education so that Iowans will be proud of the state, and our young folks will have the best education that those funds can provide.

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